Prairie Research Institute Library Services

State Scientific Surveys

Research Assistance

Assistance is available for all aspects of library research, including selecting search tools, performing searches, or locating hard to find items. Contact us by phone (217-333-6892) or visit us for in-person assistance whenever the library is open, or by email anytime. Institute staff may also contact your librarian directly for any research assistance.

Library Orientation and Training

The Institute Library is part of one of the largest academic libraries in the nation. Learn to use it effectively!New Institute Staff are urged to arrange an orientation session. To request a session for yourself or a group, contact your librarian.

Search Alerts

Most journals, literature databases, and news sources offer automated email or RSS alerts, either for table of contents or for new content on a particular topic.The resources below will guide you in setting up alerts. For help choosing appropriate sources and setting up alerts, contact your librarian.

Delivery of Materials

On-campus

You may request campus mail delivery of materials from the University Library or I-Share. Note that campus mail delivery is slower than pickup from a library desk. You may request delivery of materials from the University Library or I-Share to any University Library desk for pickup.

Field stations / off-campus

You may request delivery of University Library or I-Share materials to the I-Share Library nearest to you (see map of I-Share libraries). Delivery is quick--usually within a week, and you can check materials out with your i-Card. If no convenient I-Share pickup location, we can mail University Library materials to you. Contact the Institute Library desk for assistance.

Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad)

Materials requested for loan via ILLiad are delivered to faculty via campus mail. If you have an adjunct faculty appointment, you are eligible for campus mail delivery of these materials. This service is available to on-campus faculty only. Otherwise, materials must be picked up from the Main Library.

New journal issues received in print are put out daily, and kept on display for one week.

Topical Displays

Topical Displays of materials are also offered.

These may be accompanied by an online bibliography or research guide.

To coordinate a topical display in the Institute Library with your project or event, contact your librarian. Open shelving as well as glassed in cases for displaying specimens or other materials that may require protection are available.

University Library Services

Off-campus Access to Online Resources

For access to licensed online library resources (e.g., journals, e-books, abstracting and indexing databases) from home or other off-campus locations, you must log in with your NetID and Active Directory password via the University Library's Proxy Server.

Library links to online resources will allow you to authenticate via the proxy server.

Institute staff are encouraged to report problems with online access, whether on or off campus, to the University Library's Electronic Resource Management Team ertech@library.illinois.edu